


Against All Odds

by nerdytardis



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, Family Feels, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Reminiscing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-22
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-08-10 10:40:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7841587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdytardis/pseuds/nerdytardis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was her birthday today. </p><p>It was also the fourth year in a row that he had to miss it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Against All Odds

**Author's Note:**

> After Star Trek: Beyond, I really wanted to get back to my roots and write some spones. Here's the result. 
> 
> Unbeta'd as always lmao

It was her birthday today. 

It was also the fourth year in a row that he had to miss it. 

The hologram in front of him flickered; it was old, taken before he even entered Starfleet, but it was one of his favorites. 

He was smiling, laughing, as Joanna wriggled around in his arms.  She always hated being still; was constantly moving, looking for something new to do.  Of course, she and Jim had hit it off as soon as they met, back when she used to visit him at the Academy. 

That seemed like that had been ages ago now, when his main problems were exams and keeping an eye on Jim.  Now he had a whole ship to look after, full of idiots who kept getting hurt. 

Sometimes, out here, so far away from Earth, he started to think that maybe this was all a mistake.  He was still saving lives, doing the only thing he had ever wanted to do.  _And yet_ , he glanced back at the hologram, _was it really worth the cost?_

The door swished open, pulling him from his thoughts.  He looked up in time to see Spock walk in, and smiled sadly.  Maybe not _everything_ that changed over the last few years had been that bad. 

Spock stopped, looking over the scene for a few silent moments.  Leonard realized he must look pretty sad, staring at old pictures with a scotch in his hand. 

“If I remember correctly, it is her birthday today,”

Leonard nodded.  “She’s turning ten,” He reached up and flipped the hologram off, watching the image flicker out of sight. 

“Don’t let me disturb you; I can leave if you would like to be alone,” Spock started to turn towards the door.  Leonard stopped him by waving his hand. 

“No,” he said, shaking his head with a sigh, “I’d rather have you here,”

Spock walked over and took the glass from his hand, placing it on the table.  He then took the empty hand in his, intertwining their fingers. 

“I know it is difficult,” he said, rubbing his thumb across Leonard’s knuckles, “Even Vulcans know the pain of absence,”

Leonard pulled Spock’s hand closer, and gently kissed the back of it.  “Thanks,”

“Do you wish to talk about it?” 

Leonard almost chuckled at that.  When they had first met, the idea of talking to Spock about anything, let alone his feelings, had seemed impossible.  Now, it was commonplace, and even more than that, it was a comfort. 

“I’m missing out on so much of her life,” Spock pulled up a chair, sitting down next to him silently, “What if she doesn’t even want to see me when I get back?”

“She misses you,” Spock said, his voice leaving no room for discussion, “It is obvious in the amount of letters she sends you,”

“I guess…but we still have two whole years in deep space,” Leonard continued, his emotion causing him to become more animate, “She’ll be twelve by the time we get back!  What kind of father leaves his daughter behind for so long, missing entire years of her life?”

Spock was silent for a moment, collecting his thoughts in the methodical way that Leonard had grown accustomed to over the years.  It had an incredible calming effect on him. 

“You have done the best that you could.  You showed her compassion and love even in a difficult situation.  You have been a great father to her.  That is what matters,” 

Leonard looked sideways at Spock.  “That was very poetic, are you going soft on me?”

“Impossible, I am merely stating fact,”

The beginnings of a smile began to tug at Leonard’s face. 

After a brief moment of silence, Spock cleared his throat.  “When we do return to Earth,” he began, “I would very much like to meet Joanna,” 

Leonard looked up, surprised at the sudden turn of the conversation.  “Really?”

“Of course, she is an integral part of your life and happiness, both of which I care about,”

Continuing to stare at Spock, Leonard felt something new begin to stir in his chest. 

“I also thought that our relationship had reached a point where ‘meeting the family’ as humans tend to put it, would be expected,”

After a beat, Leonard stopped staring at Spock and a wide grin spread across his face.  “You want to meet my family?”

Spock, unsure of whether Leonard was smiling out of joy or humor at the suggestion, just replied simply, “That is what I hoped to convey,”

“I think that would be wonderful Spock,” Leonard reached out and brought his hand to Spock’s face, pulling him in for an entirely human kiss.  “Thank you,”

“For what?”

“For making me feel better even when the odds are against you,”

“You never cared for the odds,”

Leonard chuckled, “That is true,” He shook his head, now openly laughing as he gave Spock a sympathetic look.  “You and my family…It’s going to be an interesting party to say the least,”

Spock raised an eyebrow at him.  “I would expect nothing less,”

**Author's Note:**

> I may, just maybe, write a second chapter to this where Spock actually does meet Leonard's family, but I don't know yet. School's almost started again and I have a ton of other unfinished stuff I need to do something about. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ We'll see.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
